At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the charge in responding to high-severity security incidents and drive proactive risk reduction.
- Company: Join a forward-thinking company dedicated to cybersecurity excellence.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible work options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities to elevate the Cyber Security function.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by preventing security breaches and enhancing organisational resilience.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in security incident response and strong analytical skills.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
This role exists to ensure security incidents are rare, contained, and unsurprising. You will own the technical direction of security incident response and response readiness across the company. When a serious incident occurs, you lead from the front – investigating, containing, and driving resolution with calm authority. When incidents are not happening, you are actively eliminating the conditions that would cause the next one. It is not a role for someone who waits for alerts. It is for someone who constantly asks "what will break next, and why?" – and then fixes that problem before an attacker finds it. You will operate across endpoint, identity, cloud, and SaaS environments, working closely with Security Operations, IT, and Engineering to reduce real risk, not theoretical risk.
Responsibilities
- Leading the end-to-end technical response to high-severity security incidents
- Owning investigation, containment, eradication, and recovery activities
- Acting as the senior technical authority during live incidents
- Providing clear, decisive guidance to Security Operations under pressure
- Coordinating response across endpoint, identity, cloud, and SaaS platforms
- Supplying executives, legal, and risk stakeholders with accurate technical context and impact assessments
- Ensuring incidents are driven to resolution, not just stabilised
- Designing, maintaining, and continuously improving incident response playbooks and runbooks
- Identifying systemic weaknesses that increase incident likelihood or blast radius, including:
- Unpatched or inconsistently patched systems
- Exposed services and misconfigurations
- Degraded or ineffective controls
- Using SIEM and security tooling to prioritise patching and vulnerability risk based on real exposure and exploitability, not CVSS scores alone
- Partnering with IT, Cloud, and Engineering teams to drive remediation based on business risk
- Tracking remediation through to completion and validating effectiveness post-fix
- Turning incidents, near-misses, and exposure findings into:
- Improved detections
- Stronger preventative controls
- Faster and less disruptive response
- Driving readiness through simulations, tabletop exercises, and scenario testing
- Raising the overall maturity of the Cyber Security function by pushing advanced response and exposure management practices into BAU operations
Qualifications
- Proven, hands-on experience leading response to real security incidents
- Strong investigation capability across endpoint, identity, and cloud environments
- Demonstrated experience prioritising vulnerability or patching risk in large, complex estates
- Ability to remain decisive and effective during incidents, and analytical between them
- Clear communicator who can influence outcomes without needing direct ownership of every fix
- Pragmatic mindset: reduce risk first, optimise later
- DFIR, forensics, or malware analysis experience
- Proven ability to correlate vulnerability data with runtime telemetry and attacker behaviour to drive actionable risk reduction
- Cloud-first incident response or exposure management experience
- Exposure to compliance-driven security requirements
- Experience working alongside vulnerability scanning platforms without being constrained by them
Senior Security Incident Response Engineer employer: Checkout.com
Checkout.com is an exceptional employer that champions a flexible hybrid working model, allowing employees to balance their professional and personal lives effectively. With a strong emphasis on growth and collaboration, the company provides ample opportunities for career development while working alongside talented teams in the dynamic financial services sector in London. Joining Checkout.com means being part of a forward-thinking organisation that values compliance and innovation in payments and product regulation.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Security Incident Response Engineer
✨Get Involved in the Cybersecurity Community
Diving into the cybersecurity community is key for landing that full-time gig. Join forums like Reddit's r/cybersecurity or attend local meetups to connect with industry veterans and other job seekers. Networking is everything in this field—don’t just be a passive lurker!
✨Show Off Your Skills with Capture the Flag Competitions
Participate in Capture the Flag (CTF) competitions; these are not just a fun way to boost your skills but also a chance to showcase your talent to potential employers. Many companies, including Checkout.com, love seeing candidates who actively engage in these challenges.
✨Tailor Your Online Presence
Make sure your LinkedIn and any professional profiles reflect your cybersecurity expertise. Share your projects, whether they’re personal or from a previous role, to catch the eye of hiring managers. This is how they’ll find your passion and commitment to the field!
✨Apply Directly Through Checkout.com
Don’t forget to head straight to our website and check out any openings for cybersecurity roles at Checkout.com. Applying directly can sometimes give you an edge, especially if you can mention that you've been following our work or engaging in the community.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Security Incident Response Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your technical skills:In cybersecurity, it's crucial to highlight your technical prowess. Make sure your CV showcases specific skills like network security, penetration testing, or threat analysis. If you have relevant certifications (like CEH or CISSP), pop those on the front page to grab attention!
Tailor your portfolio for the role:Even for a full-time role, a portfolio can set you apart. If you've worked on any cybersecurity projects—be it CTF challenges, security assessments, or research papers—include these in your application. This demonstrates not just your skills, but also your hands-on experience!
Use real-world examples:When writing your cover letter, don’t just stick to your qualifications. Share real-world examples of how you’ve tackled security issues or vulnerabilities. This gives the hiring team at Checkout.com insight into your practical problem-solving abilities and makes your application memorable.
Demonstrate your passion for cybersecurity:Cybersecurity is an ever-evolving field, so show us that you’re always learning! Mention any recent courses, webinars, or industry events you’ve attended. This not only exhibits your enthusiasm but also signals to Checkout.com that you’re committed to staying ahead in the game.
How to prepare for a job interview at Checkout.com
✨Sharpen Your Technical Skills
For a role in cybersecurity, it’s essential to be up-to-date with the latest tools and techniques. Brush up on your knowledge of firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and vulnerability assessment tools. Be ready to discuss specific scenarios where you’ve applied these skills, as hands-on experience can really set us apart in interviews.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect the interviewers at Checkout.com to throw in some hypothetical situations to see how you’d handle them. Think about common security breaches or incidents and be prepared to explain how you would respond. This not only shows your problem-solving skills but also your understanding of real-world cybersecurity challenges.
✨Highlight Your Certifications
Certifications like CompTIA Security+, CISSP, or CEH can give you a significant edge in a full-time role in cybersecurity. Make sure to mention these during your interview and be prepared to discuss what you learned through those certifications and how they relate to the position at Checkout.com.
✨Show Your Passion for Cybersecurity
Since you’re going for a full-time gig, showing genuine enthusiasm for the field can make all the difference. Share any personal projects, blogs, or communities you’re part of that relate to cybersecurity. This not only showcases your passion but also your commitment to staying engaged in this ever-evolving field.
